Robert L. Wilson (September 11, 1805 – March 7, 1880) was an American politician from Pennsylvania. Coming to Ohio at a young age, Wilson attended Franklin College then studied law. After he was admitted to the bar, he moved to Athens, Illinois, and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. he then moved to Sterling, Illinois, where he was clerk of the circuit court and Probate Judge. During the Civil War, Wilson first defended Washington, D.C., then raised a company of volunteers before being appointed a paymaster.